Work in Thailand - Can you really be fined for working around the home?

[Thomas J]

I have a neighbor from Belgium who is absolutely paranoid about being turned in for doing household projects.  Plumbing, Electrical, Yard Work etc.  I looked up online and it does note that Thailand prohibits working of any kind even if not compensated if doing so takes a potential job away from a Thai.  Is that true in practice?  If that was the case even doing dishes, or vacuuming around the house would potentially take employment away from a Thai maid.  What is the actual situation? 

[tgw]

absolutely not if it's your own long-term home.

 

but such works become problematic when the property is to be resold after renovation or is used for rental income.

[Airalee]

Washing your hair takes employment away from the salon that will wash it for ฿60

 

Cooking your own food takes employment from the restaurant.

 

Driving your own car....

 

sometimes, common sense has to be applied.

[bert bloggs]

As i told the wife ,i am not allowed by law to do any jobs whatsoever ,but i am allowed to switch on and watch tv while she cuts the grass and washes the car.

[DaLa]

I agree wholeheartedly with this rule.  I've just put away the gardening equipment, thrown out the paint brushes and have cracked a beer awaiting wifey to return home and finish the ironing.

 

I now accept all their cultural values ..like sin sot.

[oldhippy]

4 minutes ago, Airalee said:

Washing your hair takes employment away from the salon that will wash it for ฿60

 

Cooking your own food takes employment from the restaurant.

 

Driving your own car....

 

sometimes, common sense has to be applied.

Common sense dictates not to expect common sense in a country ruled by police mafia.

[Jonathan Fairfield]

It's a myth. 

 

You're not going to get fined for mowing the lawn, painting the fence, washing your car etc

[Dominion]

If you have xenophobic neighbors then it's a given. 

[cyril sneer]

it's up to the province and luck

 

better to be safe than sorry so don't bother doing anything

[Bob A Kneale]

16 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

I have a neighbor from Belgium who is absolutely paranoid about being turned in for doing household projects.  Plumbing, Electrical, Yard Work etc. ... What is the actual situation? 

There is no "situation".  Do what you like around your own house, for goodness sake.

[Airalee]

3 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

Common sense dictates not to expect common sense in a country ruled by police mafia.

In this case, it’s the Belgian who lacks common sense.

[Bob A Kneale]

Just now, cyril sneer said:

it's up to the province and luck

 

better to be safe than sorry so don't bother doing anything

Nonsense.

[bert bloggs]

As long as its within the confines of your own property no problem ,you are not supposed to do anything outside ,i do and nobody gives a fig ,we only have 5 neighbours in our gated street and we all are friendly .

[oldhippy]

3 minutes ago, bert bloggs said:

As long as its within the confines of your own property no problem ,you are not supposed to do anything outside ,i do and nobody gives a fig ,we only have 5 neighbours in our gated street and we all are friendly .

You feel the need to add "and we all are friendly."

 

That answers the question, doesn't it ?

 

[petedk]

15 minutes ago, DaLa said:

I agree wholeheartedly with this rule.  I've just put away the gardening equipment, thrown out the paint brushes and have cracked a beer awaiting wifey to return home and finish the ironing.

 

I now accept all their cultural values ..like sin sot.

You mean you didn't wait for the wife to serve you.

Serving beer is probably prohibited under normal circumstances. Don't forget to tell her.

[lazygourmet]

I am as well from Belgium.

Strict work permit rules have always been my best excuses for doing nothing and keep on procrastinating during these last two decades.

 

[WineOh]

24 minutes ago, bert bloggs said:

As i told the wife ,i am not allowed by law to do any jobs whatsoever ,but i am allowed to switch on and watch tv while she cuts the grass and washes the car.

Excellent mate! 

[talahtnut]

 

A proper bloke's common law in the UK too.

I was forced to do some put up some shelves

in early days, so stuck em 30 degrees off level

so all plates rolled off, she called me a stupid

C###, never asked me again.

 

 

[shy coconut]

1 hour ago, Bob A Kneale said:

Nonsense.

But but but, a bloke in the pub (or it may have been a post here) said that someone

was arrested, paid 10 grand tea money, got a visit from immigration and was deported 

and blacklisted for ten years (after a fortnight in the IDC) just because he put the rubbish

out one night!!

[bert bloggs]

1 hour ago, oldhippy said:

You feel the need to add "and we all are friendly."

 

That answers the question, doesn't it ?

 

I suppose there are places where you have some nasty person who doesnt like you and wants to cause trouble ,but to be honest i have never had a problem here ever ,i read on here how ,farangs are not likes ,overcharged ,etc etc ,but to be honest i have always been treated nicely in the 15 years of living here and the 10 years before coming back and  for. the only time we had a problem ,it was another farang not paying what they owed .

[drbeach]

2 hours ago, Dominion said:

If you have xenophobic neighbors then it's a given. 

It's a bar stool rumor. Besides, most laborers in this country are foreigners, typically Cambodians or Burmese, and many of them are working illegally. If they aren't "ratted out" why should a farang, doing work within the confines of his home be? Also, chances are who would know what you're doing, if you have a big property and high fence where no one can see inside?

 

Besides, if you take this rule literally, then EVERYTHING would be work and could be fined.

 

Flushing a toilet = takes away a job from a Thai toilet flusher

 

Brushing your teeth = takes away a job from a Thai teeth brusher

 

Driving your own car = takes away a job from a Thai driver (if so, then foreigners couldn't be eligible for Thai driving licenses, and all Lao, Burmese, Malaysians, Singaporeans and Cambodians would be prohibited from driving across the border in their own cars)

 

Cutting a branch off a tree in your yard = takes away a job from a Thai tree cutter that is 99% likely to be Cambodian anyway

 

Cooking your own breakfast = takes away a job from a Thai cook

 

I mean come on, I can't believe this kind of question is even being posed. It's common sense really.

 

Doing anything you want in or around your own house = no issue. Doing it for a neighbor - bit of a grey area. Helping your neighbor hold a ladder, no issue. Helping them paint the house? Technically may constitute working, but in practice I can't imagine it being an issue provided you don't get paid.

 

Helping your wife sell mangoes in front of your house = technically could be considered working, though almost no farang doing this lands in trouble, but best not to.

 

Selling something you made in front of your house = considered working if you don't have a work permit.

[brianthainess]

19 hours ago, drbeach said:

Also, chances are who would know what you're doing, if you have a big property and high fence where no one can see inside?

Waiting for the wife to make a high fence and pay for it, i don't understand her problem with that, it's only 160 mtrs, I paid for the spade. 

[AndyAndyAndy]

I never had a problem. I made a concrete slab in front of our house. Welded (built) front metal gate. Built a roof over seating area. Welded tons of stuff like shelfs etc. All done in front of our house where everybody can see me. Never had a single problem.

 

On the other hand a lot of times happen, that people ask me to help them with stuff. Like latch rusted off their gate, if I could put a weld there. 10 seconds job. Or repair their stuff, like weld broken rake, shovel. (all for free) I'm refusing all of this stuff. I never do anything on somebody elses property or touch somebody elses broken stuff. Not even for a friend and for free.

[ubonjoe]

This topic has now run its course since in contains many nonsensical, off topic, Thai bashing and etc posts.

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